Rolling mill



July so, 1968 Filed May 19, 1965 c. s. SHUMAKER 3,394,576

ROLLING MILL 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 L1H ll INVENTOR. CHARLES S. SHUMAKER BY 24.? Q- 7261;; HI ATTORNEY y 1968 c. s. SHUMAKER 3,394,575

ROLLING MILL Filed May 19, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. CHARLES S. SHUMAKER HIS ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,394,576 ROLLING MILL Charles Storer Shumaker, Glenshaw, Pa., assignor to United Engineering and Foundry Company, Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed May 19, 1965, Ser. No. 456,999 Claims priority, application Great Britain, June 15, 1964, 24,779/ 64 3 Claims. (Cl. 72239) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The present invention relates to a rolling mill wherein there is provided in combination with a roll changing sled adapted to pass into the windows of the mill for receiving the rolls there-of, filler blocks arranged between the bearing chocks of the lowermost rolls of the mill and the sled. The filler blocks are received in slidable carriages which are supported by and designed to move relative to the sled. The carriages are moved towards and away from the bearing chock assemblies by a piston cylinder assembly. The purpose of providing for the filler blocks to be moved out from under the bearing chock assemblies is to allow the roll or rolls to be quickly brought to a predetermined position so that they can be removed from the mill.

The present invention relates to a rolling mill and, more particularly, to a construction that enables the rapid replacement of certain components of the mill.

It is quite common to provide in the modern rolling mill plant apparatus which enables the rolls of the mill to be quickly changed. Such apparatuses have been found particularly advantageous in the changing of the work rolls of a 4-high mill. In certain mills, for example a 4- high cold mill, there is a considerable distance between the elevation of the floor in front of the mill and the lowest portion of the work roll chocks so that the work rolls cannot be simply inserted into and withdrawn from the platform in front of the mill without first either raising the platform or lowering the work rolls, or both.

The present invention provides, in part, a device that will enable the roll or rolls of a mill to be quickly lowered while in the mill to an elevation where at least a portion of the roll chock will coincide with a predetermined elevation, thereby enabling the roll or rolls to be quickly removed from and replaced into the mill.

Another feature to which the present invention has reference is to the removing and replacing of the filler blocks provided between the lower roll chock and the housing of a mill having two or more rolls, which filler blocks compensate for the difference in diameters of the rolls employed in the mill. It will be appreciated that usually the mill is designed to receive rolls of varying diameters which in one 4high mill by way of an example, the work rolls varied from 20" minimum to 23" maximum and, with respect to the backup rolls, their diameters varied from 50* minimum to 56" maximum. In presentday designs it is necessary to lift all the rolls away from the filler blocks so that a new filler block may be manually inserted which will have a thickness commensurate with the change in diameter of the new roll or rolls.

The present invention provides an improved means for quickly and mechanically removing and replacing the filler blocks so that the mill will not be held out of service for any appreciable length of time.

Both of the aforesaid objects are accomplished by providing at the base of the mill, say for example a 4-high mill, means for raising the lower backup roll and both work rolls in a direction away from the base of the ice housing, whereby the lower backup roll chocks are freed from the filler blocks, including means for quickly removing the filler blocks out from under the chocks so that the roll assemblies can be lowered, in which connection the work roll assembly will be also lowered so that a portion will coincide with the elevation of the platform in front of the mill. At the same time if it is necessary to change the filler blocks, they can be conveniently removed and replaced by others.

These objects as well as other features and advantages ofthe present invention will be more fully understood when the following description is read along with the accompanying drawings of which:

FIGURE 1 is an elevati-onal view, partly in section, of one of the windows of a 4-high rolling mill, incorporatng the features of the present invention and showing the filler blocks in their operative positions;

FIGURE 2 is a view similar to FIGURE 1, showing the filler block removed from under the backup roll and the rolls in their lowered positions;

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view taken on lines IIIIII of FIGURE 1, showing more fully one of the filler blocks and assorted components in their operative positions;

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view taken on lines IVIV of FIGURE 2, showing more fully one of the filler blocks in its inoperative or withdrawn position.

Before referring to these figures, it will be appreciated that many of the customary components of a rolling mill have not been shown not will they be referred to since their construction and operation are well known.

With reference now to FIGURE 1 there is shown one of the two identical component housings, in which the component of one housing 11 will be referred to only. The housing 11 has a window 12 into which is received four rolls to make up a 4-high mill, i.e., the work rolls 13 and 14 and backup rolls 15 and 16. The work roll 13 is received 'in a bearing-chock assembly 17 which has two downwardly extending legs 18 that form a recess 19 into which is received the bearing-chock assembly 21 of the lower work roll 14. The chock 21 is held in the chock 17 by latches, not shown. At the very bottom of the legs of the chock 17 wheels are rotatably mounted. The backup rolls 15 and 16 are likewise provided with bearing-chock assemblies, the backup roll 15 having a bearing-chock assembly 22, which at its lower portion has opposed downwardly extending positions 23, the ends of which take the form of 'a hook 24 which engages in certain instances cooperative projections 25 formed on the upper port-ion of the bearingchock assembly 17 of the upper work roll 13.

With reference now, in addition to FIGURE 3, it will be observed that the lower backup roll 16 is provided with a bearing-chock assembly 26, the lower portion of which is formed with cut-away portions 27 at its opposite side between which portion there is provided a thin rectangular rocker plate 28 which engages the top surface of a filler block 29, the filler block being received in a retractable platform 30 to be more fully explained hereinafter. Below the filler block 29 there is provided a pressure block 31 which is received in a cartridge 32, the upper surface of which is always below the upper surface of the pressure block and, hence, not subject to the rolling loads as is the pressure block. As FIGURE 3 illustrates, the cartridge 32 and pressure block 31 rest on the lower portion of the housing 11.

In the particular mill shown, the lower backup chock 26 is designed to cooperate with a backup roll changing sled 34 which is designed to extend into and between the windows of the mill below the bottom backup roll assembly during the normal operation of the mill. Such a roll changing device is shown in US. Patent No. 2,037,210

issued on Apr. 14, 1936, to C. F. Buente entitled Roll Changing Apparatus. As FIGURE 1 of the accompanying drawings shows, the sled 34 has two parallel spaced-apart rails 35 and 36 which fit inside the window 12 of the housing 11. As also shown in FIGURE 1, normally the backup chock 26 of the lower backup roll 16 is not in engagement with the rails 35 and 36 so that, as previously explained, the rolling pressures pass from the chocks into the housing 11 via the fillers 29 and pressure block 31. The top surface of cut-away portion 27 formed in the chock 26, however, upon the removal of the tiller block 29 is adapted to come into engagement with the rails 35 and 36 whereby the chock 26 is carried by the rails of the sled 34.

With reference to FIGURE 3 which, as noted, is a section taken on FIGURE 1, it will be observed that in the housing 11 there is shown one of a pair of piston cylinder assemblies 37, the illustrated piston 38 projecting up through the sled 34 for which purpose an opening 39 is provided whereby the piston of the cylinder 37 engages a projection 41 formed on the chock 26 and by which means the chock is raised off of the tiller block 29.

As previously noted the filler block 29 is received in the retractable platform 30 which, in turn, is received on the sled 34 and movable relative thereto wherein it slides over spaced-apart bushings 42. These bushings shown only in FIGURE 1 take the form of inverted L shaped members which are carried by the rails 35 and 36 of the sled and wherein the upper portion of the bushings overhang the platform 30 and thus restrain it in the vertical direction. To the one end of the platform 30 there is provided an arm 43 to which there is secured a piston 44 of a piston cylinder assembly 45. The piston cylinder assembly is carried on the base member 34A of the sled 34 and secured thereto by a bracket shown only in FIGURE 1. Upon operation of the piston cylinder assembly 45, once the lower chock 26 has been raised, the filler block 29 will be moved from the position shown in FIGURE 3 to the position shown in FIGURE 4.

There is one other element of the mill that needs to be described which is the roll balance assembly for the upper backup roll 12. As shown in FIGURE 2, there is provided at the top of the chock 22, arms 46 which engage projection 47 formed on the chock 22, the arms 46 being connected to a double-acting piston cylinder assembly 48 which, in turn, is carried by the separators that extend between the mill housings. The operation of the piston cylinder assembly 48 in one direction raises the chock 22 and the projections 24 engage with the projections 25 of the upper work roll chock 17, whereby the cylinder 48 i will carry the weight of the upper backup roll 15 and work rolls 13 and 14.

In now briefly explaining the operation, and again with reference to only one housing relative to remove the filler block 29 either to effect a changing of the work rolls 13 and 14 and/or the replacement of the filler block, let it be assumed that all the necessary operations have been completed to allow the rolls to be lowered and/or removed. In this event the piston cylinder assemblies 37 are operated to engage the projection 41 of the lower chock 26 to thereby raise the backup roll 16. It will be appreciated that previous to this step the mill screws, not shown, that adjust the roll pass will be retracted a small amount to relieve pressure from bottom backup roll in order to allow the work rolls 13, 14 and upper backup roll 15 to be raised, on the operation of the piston cylinder assembly 48. Once this occurs, the piston cylinder assembly 45 is operated to remove the filler block 29 out from under the chock 26 to the position shown in FIG- URE 4. Following this, the piston cylinder assembly 37 will be lowered to lower backup roll 16. The lower position of the chock 26 of the backup roll 16 will bring it into a supporting relationship with the rails 35 and 36 of the sled 34. Assuming that the work rolls 13 and 14 are to be changed, the piston cylinder assembly 48 will be operated to allow the rolls 13, 14 and 15 to be lowered to the position shown in FIGURE 2 which presents the lower surface of the wheels 20 of the upper work roll chock 17 at the same elevation as the fioor. In this position it will be noted that there will be a clearance not only between the respective work rolls, but also between the work rolls and the backup rolls which is also illustrated in FIGURE 2. Upon the assumption of this position by the elements, the work rolls can be removed and replaced as a unit and, at the same time, the fillers 29 can be removed and replaced by one commensurate with the new roll diameter assuming the new set of rolls has a different diameter than the ones removed from the mill.

While the present invention has been described in connection with the 4-high mill, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that it may be just as conveniently employed in other types of mills, such as a 2-high mill.

The above description of the mill relates to an overhead roll balance system, but the present invention is equally advantageous for use with a roll balance cylinder arrangement wherein the cylinders thereof are inserted into the legs of the backup chocks, and wherein the work roll chocks are nested in the backup chocks. In this arrangement the cylinders 37 and 38 lift the entire complement of rolls and then lower them onto stops. It will also be appreciated that the present invention is applicable to a mill which employs a backup roll changing rig connected to two rails which after the ChOcks are raised the two rails are inserted into the mill under the bottom backup chocks and carry the rails after they have been lowered thereon to a position outside of the mill, all according to well-known practice.

In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes, I have explained the principle and operation of my invention and have illustrated and described what I consider to represent the best embodiment thereof. However, I desire to have it understood that within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically illustrated and described.

I claim:

1. In a rolling mill, a housing having a vertically arranged window for receiving a pair of rolls,

said rolls being vertically slidable in said window,

bearing chock assemblies secured to the ends of the rolls,

filler blocks arranged between the bearing chock assemblies of the lowermost roll and said housing,

a retractable carriage for receiving said filler blocks and for moving said blocks into and out of a position under said bearing chock assemblies of said lowermost roll, a sled mounted in said window and below said lowermost roll and constructed to support said carriage,

means mounted on said sled and connected to said carriage for moving the carriage relative to said sled, and

means for guiding said carriage during its movement.

2. In a rolling mill according to claim 1, wherein said sled is provided with rails having surfaces for receiving and carrying the bearing chock assemblies of the lowermost roll,

said bearing chock assemblies of said lowermost roll having spaced-apart recesses in the areas adjacent to said rail and between said recesses, a projecting portion adapted to be engaged by said filler blocks, and

said recesses being such that during operation of the mill the filler blOcks maintain said bearing chock assemblies of said lowermost rolls out of engagement with said rails and on retraction of said filler blocks allow the bearing chock assemblies of the lowermost rolls to be lowered into engagement with said rails.

3. In a rolling mill, a housing having a vertical window for receiving a pair of working rolls and a pair of backup rolls,

said rolls being vertically slidable in said window,

bearing chock assemblies secured to the ends of the rolls,

the working rolls having an operative position and a roll changing position which is below the operative position of the working rolls,

means for raising and lowering the upper backup roll and said pair of working rolls and wherein the construction is such that said lower backup roll is vertically movable relative to said other rolls,

filler blocks arranged between the bearing chock assemblies of the lower backup roll and said housing,

a sled extending to said window and constructed to carry said filler blocks in a manner that rolling pressures of the mill are taken solely through the filler blocks into the housing,

means carried by said housing to engage the bearing chock assembly of the lower backup roll to raise them away from the filler blocks,

means carried by said sled connected to said filler blocks for removing the blocks out from under the bearing chock assembly of the lower backup roll so that the lower backup rolls can be lowered and the working rolls positioned in the roll changing position,

said sled including surfaces for carrying the bearing chock assembly of the lower backup roll,

said surfaces being formed to allow said working rolls to be lowered to the roll changing position, and

the upper portion of the bearing chock assembly of said lower backup roll being constructed so as to allow the adjacent working roll to move axially Without contacting the bearing chock assembly of the lower backup roll.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,03 7,210 4/1936 Buente 72239 2,140,929 12/ 1938 Talbot 72239 2,93 8,706 5/ 1960 Langen 72239 3,115,672 12/1963 Seanor 72237 3,204,443 9/ 1965 Kalberkamp 72239 3,208,260 9/ 1965 Sieger 72239 CHARLES W. LANHAM, Primary Examiner. G. RUDERMAN, Assistant Examiner. 

